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THE HSE HAS said it isn’t adopting hard-hitting, emotive messages for its Covid-19 advertisements as it may result in “defensive avoidance”, where people deny the importance of the message it’s putting across.
It comes after calls from a Fine Gael TD to replicate the kind of effective messages used in road safety and quit smoking adverts.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Dublin Mid West TD Emer Higgins said that advertisements around Covid-19 should be more forceful in driving home the effect that getting and spreading this disease to others could have, and use hard-hitting messages to achieve this goal.
A recent example of an advertisement that could be described in this manner is this advert released in late September by the Scottish government.
Catching up with friends or family this weekend?
— Scottish Government (@scotgov) September 18, 2020
Don't pass coronavirus on to those you love.
Remember, you should only meet up to 6 people from a maximum of 2 households at a time.
↔️ Keep 2m apart ↔️
Know the rules ➡️ https://t.co/vZLpqFcLdy pic.twitter.com/3tXPSRBfN2
However, the HSE has said that it has instead focused in on a different strategy which centres on encouraging a shared sense of purpose, promoting preventative behaviours as a social norm and highlighting that we all benefit from each other’s actions to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Since the start of the pandemic, a key part of the strategy in fighting the virus from the government’s perspective has been to try to communicate effectively to the public around the public health measures.
Heading into the Christmas period where it is likely restrictions will be eased, compliance and adherence to whatever fresh restrictions are in place will be vital in preventing cases of the disease rising further again.
‘Patience being tested’
NPHET’s Communications and Behavioural Advisory Group is a subgroup of the wider NPHET membership that focuses in on the best practices for communicating messages around Covid-19 and examining how people’s behaviour is changing during the periods of restrictions.
A recent meeting, the group heard that for young people “their patience for more restrictions is being tested” and that it should aim to “simplify” its messaging in the future.
It said that “young adults are already very vulnerable emotionally” and that it would be important in future to “simplify the guidelines in targeted communication”.
The group also pointed to a new study which found that people consistently say the threat of fines and arrest is the least persuasive factor when it comes to convincing them to adhere to public health rules.
They noted: “Penalties may have unintended consequences of damaging social cohesion and collective willingness to engage with the restrictions.
Current compliance with mask-wearing is 96%+ according to the latest Amarach tracker survey. Introducing fines for behaviours with high compliance might backfire by 1) over-penalising those who unintentionally break the rule (e.g. forgetting your mask) and 2) by further agitating the very small minority who aren’t complying.
Heading into the Christmas period, Higgins said it’s vitally important that decisions are made to reach out to young people particularly through the mediums they use – such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok – to try to convey the importance of adhering to the public health guidance.
“We need to start reaching them with advertising directly through the channels they use with the kind of emotive, hard-hitting adverts we see elsewhere.”
There’s an advert from the RSA with a group of young lads and the fear one of them has about asking his friend to wear a seat belt. We need to instill that sense of ‘it’s okay to say no to go to this big gathering a friend is organising’, and query why they’re having it in the first place.
She pointed to advertising spend from the HSE of €150,000 to date on social media Covid messaging, and says this needs to be ramped up to target the younger generation.
When it comes to posting, however, the HSE has published more posts on Twitter than Facebook, Instagram and TikTok combined.
Road safety and smoking cessation
In information released to Higgins via parliamentary question, both the Road Safety Authority and HSE explained how they focus in on strong, often emotional, messaging in their campaigns.
In the case of the RSA, it said it aims to “strike a strong emotional chord so that the message will resonate long after the moment”.
Well-known adverts include the 1 in 2 campaign – “I wish I was an actor” for smoking cessation – or the anatomy of a split-second road safety campaign.
When it comes to road safety and smoking adverts, there is a great deal amount of research done into the kinds of messaging it’s important to get across in advertisements to the public.
In a reply to Higgins’ PQ requesting data on how effective its advertisements are in achieving their aims, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) said: “We focus on communicating single, actionable behaviours to be adopted or changed, that are easily understood and feel both simple and necessary to address.
Our strategy also recognises that social change does not occur absolutely at the time of communication. It happens when someone makes the decision in a moment of time, usually way outside of the advertising arena. This means that we must make sure our advertising is as “immersive” as possible; leaving a profound emotional imprint for it to work. And we do so in a way that strikes a strong emotional chord so that the message will resonate long after the moment.
For its specific purposes, the RSA said it focused in on “killer behaviours” in its advertising, such as excessive speed, intoxication and driver fatigue as it seeks to warn people of the dangers of such behaviours.
When it runs campaigns, it aims to evaluate the effectiveness of them by conducting national surveys of 1,000 adults every 14 days to see how aware people are of the messaging and if they’ve taken it onboard.
This method is one that has been used frequently during the pandemic by the Department of Health with its surveys.
The RSA said its research indicated that these messages resonated with people, with the number of people reporting changing their behaviours afterwards as high as 90% for some campaigns.
Similarly with smoking adverts, the HSE said that its inclusion of the “negative health effects of smoking” are most effective in changing attitudes and behaviour in a way that promotes quitting.
It said: “It is important that mass media campaigns are refreshed regularly (every two to three years) in order to be effective in maintaining audience engagement. There is natural campaign ‘burnout’ that occurs over time with all campaigns.”
Way forward
Emer Higgins said that the example set by these adverts is something that should be replicated in how messages around Covid-19 are communicated to the public, particularly young people.
“My concern would be that the message hasn’t changed dramatically over the course of the pandemic,” she said. “If you haven’t learn to wash your hands at this stage, and downloaded the Covid tracker app, I don’t think any amount of adverts will make you do it now.
We need our messaging to evolve. And it’s these kind of hard-hitting adverts that capture people’s attention. I think even of the Supervalu ad this week – that got people to notice and think about their behaviour.
After there was a spike in young people developing the disease over the summer into the autumn, Higgins said it was important to emphasise how fit and healthy people could spread Covid-19 to more vulnerable people heading into the Christmas period.
In further statistics provided by the HSE, it said while it had posted on Twitter 1,316 times as part of its Covid-19 campaign, this dropped to 471 for Instagram, 265 for Facebook and just 10 for TikTok.
“People in their late teens and early 20s are less likely to be watching the 9 o’clock news,” Higgins added. “We need to make sure we reach the right audience in the right way on this.”
In response to a query from Higgins, the HSE said acknowledged that there was strong evidence that smoking and road safety adverts were effective in changing behaviour.
It said: “When it comes to the style of messaging used to encourage people to stop smoking, the inclusion of messages about the negative health effects of smoking have been shown to be effective in changing smoking knowledge, attitude and behaviour in a way that promotes quitting. However, exposure to campaigns with positive messages has also been shown to be effective at prompting people to seek help.
Although ‘hard hitting’ or negative emotive messages have been shown to be effective at encouraging people to stop smoking and improving road safety, this approach does not work for all behaviours. While targeting fears can be useful in some situations, its effectiveness is limited. Strong fear based messaging can change behaviour but can also result in defensive avoidance where people deny the importance of a danger or the importance of them taking action.
The HSE added that it’s working with a newly formed-group who advocate for and represent young people to create new advertising and messaging targeting young people in the coming months.
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I used to be one of those people. I used to drink a liter of coke every day. Heard a report on the radio similar to this and said to myself that’s it I’m done with coke. Drank water after that but the body really craved it for about a week. Within 6 weeks I had lost 2 stone and felt much healthier. Still love the occasional coke but it really is toxic.
I had similar circumstances. I was drinking it because it was there or I was naturally thirsty. I’d finish two cans and still my thirst would not be quenched. It went on like this for years including various other fizzy drinks yet I had always been a good ‘water drinker’. One day when I was 16 I gave it up and I have not looked back. I do not crave them in the slightest bit. I just regulate how much of my juice or coffee intake is now, they still can contain high sugar amounts even though I don’t take any sugar with my coffee. Water is still pro-dominantly my drink of choice no matter where I go, even to pubs I still ask for water. My thirst is actually quenched and I’m not looking for more. I’d encourage anyone who can give it up to do so or at least lower their intake.
Why is a contour bottle of water the same price of a bottle of coke?
Nailed it crypto, if they were serious about it being about health before taxation, they would reduce vat on water and designated healthy options.
best just to drink from the tap all together. look at the ingredients in some bottled water. some littererly say they have salt in it
Not this again. They already have! The vast majority of healthy, unprocessed food is 0% Vat. It’s mainly “unhealthy”, processed food that is taxed at 23%. There are several different vat rates. Not everything is taxed at 23% vat. Next time you go to Aldi or Lidl look at your receipt and you’ll clearly see what was taxed at what rate.
As an adult, OK, your bad choice to make, but can’t understand parents letting kids drink them. I have four kids and they know not to bother even asking for a fizzy drink. I’m sure they still are having way too much sugar daily already, but this is a no brainer.
Well they’ll just do it behind your back, and indulge more when they are older.
*Diabetics drink lucozade to save them from going into diabetic comas caused by low blood sugars. Sugar isn’t evil, moderation is perfectly fine and in some cases a life saver….
Lily that comment is a bit nonsensical, you can’t compare a diabetic’s needs (which is a serious medical need) to those of the general population, who can cope just fine without sugar.
Sugar has zero nutritional benefits Lily.
I should have clarified that by saying processed sugars like those found in soft drinks have zero nutritional benefits as opposed to fructose found in fruit.
Lucozade is the best drink for diabetics with low blood sugar. A banana would take too long to work.
As for the general population moderation is perfectly fine.
Glucose drips are used in hospital because sugar is needed to give people energy.
Flat 7up wasn’t used by mothers for no reason at all!!!!
There is no science to back that up. Old wife’s tales mean just that tales. Sugary drinks give you nothing positive that a scientific fact.
Daily allowance of 6 spoons, any single product containing more than that must be considered dangerous in the long term. Feck the tax, slap limits on the manufacturers who peddle poison.
If somebody made you a cup of tea or coffee and proceeded to put 9 teaspoons of sugar into it, what would you think?
Think about that the next time you have that harmless can of Coke.
You may be setting yourself up for diabetes later in life.
It’s grand tom, if I get diabetes, I’ll just pray to god and he will take it away.
As a teen/kid I used to have at least 4 sugars in my tea, until at 14 I was too lazy to get the spoon and the sugar and stir it in. I haven’t taken sugar in my tea since.
My kids have never had sugar in their tea. Though they eat both healthy and unhealthy food. Moderation is what it’s all about.
I nearly collapsed in the shower the other day due to low blood sugars, *i get hypoglycaemia occasionally, due to exercise, skipping a meal or having a low carb meal. The feeling is horrendous. Sugar is good too if have in moderation.
@Lily: This is about tacking obesity, especially in children. We are all aware that the body needs some forms of sugar for energy, but the key to that (if you are not diabetic or very underweight) is to eat properly and not rely on sugary drinks/sweets for an instant boost in sugar. You need to be eating foods that release energy slowly so you don’t end up suffering from attacks of hypoglycaemia.
I suffer from hypoglycaemia sometimes too (not diabetic, I get them when I forget to eat) and I know they’re horrible, but it doesn’t make sense trying to argue that sugar is good for you because of them. If nothing else, it’s because you’re not eating enough proper food, not that you’re not getting enough sugar.
Why hurt the entire population just for a few who are unable to eat /drink in moderation ?
the department of finance are already running their hands with the bonus income of these figures, and it 100% won’t be going to any health of obesity prevention measures.
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, it’s up to parents to show example to their children & not put these drinks in the weekly shop.
Im a month off sugar this Thursday. Giving it up was the hardest thing ive ever done. I gave up cigarettes and alcohol and they werent nearly as challenging. The start was immense cravings followed by severe headaches and really bad fatigue. After 8 days this stopped. The biggest shock for me is now morning times. I used to set my alarm an hour before id to get up because I was like a bear waking from hibernation. Now its just eyes open straight up and feeling more alert. I challenge any of you to give it a go. It will shock you how much you will crave it. Frightening!!!!!!!
If that’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done, you’re a lucky lucky boy.
I’m off sugar a long time Myles and that initial period of cravings is so difficult but once someone gets past that (like you did), the benefit you feel is brilliant.
@Myles Fleming: Quick question, when you say you gave up sugar, what do you mean? Do you mean sweets and junk foods or have you cut out fruit and stuff as well? I would LOVE to wake up in the morning and not feel terrible!
Parents need to take more responsibility for their children’s diet, 20c on a can of coke isn’t going to change what a child does with their lunch or pocket money.
The other two thirds are supplementing their sugary drinks with booze:))
Just another bull-hit excuse for another bull-hit tax ..
It’s all of the above.
Parents need education.
Parents need responsibility.
However, governments need to govern and they need to support parents who try to be responsible. Stop allowing schools to have vending machines full of this junk.
Start treating kids as what they are, small human beings. Stop kids menus in restaurants. Give kids the adults meal in smaller portions.
Don’t sit down having grilled plaice with steamed vegetables while your kid has burger and chips.
When you host a kids birthday have healthy treats. Give each kid a slice of cake and leave it at that. When it’s time to leave, the party is over. You don’t have to give them a goodie bag full of more shlte. The party is over and they don’t need it.
We will have the type of society we want but we must demand it.
Well said Tom.
@Tom Burke: The kids menus in restaurants drives me mad. At home my child eats all the same food as I do, she’ll try new food and loves some very strong flavoured food that even some adults wouldn’t go near. When we’re out though, the first thing she asks for is “chicken nuggets and chips” and it drives me batty. I get it that some kids are picky, but mine used to be as well. It took the bones of a year, several reward charts and a lot of perseverance, but she now eats just about anything I put in front of her and loves things like salmon, blue cheese, sushi, spinach, asparagus, and lots of other things that you couldn’t even get near most children. As you said, it comes down to responsibility. It is the parents responsibility to make sure their child eats a healthy diet. Of course it’s easier to just give in when they throw a tantrum because they don’t like green food, but that’s not what parenting is about.
Another Bankers tax.. With sterling on its knees , this stupid tax could be the worst bankers tax yet …
You’ll find in time how far this “sugar tax” spreads,nearly all food produce on the shop shelf contains sugar. It won’t only effect soft drinks!
@Veronica. Ive stopped eating anything with refined sugar in it. But it can be tough because its in virtually everything. My list goes like this chocolate, sweets cakes ice cream condiments (as best as possible) jams chutneys soft drinks energy drinks and sugar in coffee and tea. Watch eating bread too. I dont eat it as much because i find myself craving sugar after it. Thats all i can think of. I gave up the drink 8 months ago then carbs and the sugar for health reasons. Theres no doubt about it. Youll find getting up much easier.
Well done Myles.
I think the best way to avoid sugar is not to think about what you can’t buy but think about what you can buy.
You can buy fruit, veg, eggs and unprocessed meats. Find the cereal with no sugar and sugar substitute.
Find what you can buy and stick to that.
You will be in and out of the supermarket quicker than anybody else.
As for treats. Go to the farmers market. Talk to the producers. They are often very helpful and can bake to your requirements.
When you get into good food you will wonder how you are the other poison.
Believe me, I’m not some bore. I like my pint and I will eat desert and chips etc.
But I keep it to a minimum.
Best thing anyone can do is eliminate sugar in as many forms as possible from their diet. It is shocking the amount of young children, under 12, who are overweight or obese, they’re certainly getting the money from their parents so their parents should be held responsible. It’s nearly a form of abuse to inflict poor eating habits on your children in their formative years, that are more difficult to change as they get older.
Fat little bast a rds
@Tommos big nose. What else do i give up after all that? Shut up you goon!!
this is stupid whose not getting a can of coke because of an extra 10c
no one. so how can this work.
Why o why would anyone give this muck to their kids..apart from the fact that it has zero nutritional value it makes kids hyper and rots their teeth.. No thanks. My kids get it the odd time at a party maybe. Apart from that its water all the way.
What do people think of Coke Zero, no sugar and pretty much the same taste, without all the sugar.
Worse for you than the real thing.
@Thommo’s Big Nose: I’v no idea if they are or not, but if its sugar your looking to cut back on and enjoy a can of something from time to time, then it seems to be reasonable to go with the sugar free version. Why also is it just sugar, why not tax salt also? There’s just as much salt in things as sugar both as bad to your body in large amounts!
Full of chemical poison like aspartame. If I touch that stuff my body lets me know quickly. I spend far too much time standing in aisles reading labels with powerful glasses on. I won’t give it to my kids either.
@Patrick J. O’Rourke: Are you just assuming aspartame is unsafe or do you have something you can show me as to why it’s unsafe?
Look it up. It’s incredibly unsafe.
@OnTheOutside: I have my own bad experiences with the chemical actually. That was before I even knew about it and had to eliminate things in my diet to see what was causing the problem. Reading the history of it and how it got into food production and cleared from being a listed poison to being an everyday staple I found somewhat flabbergasting. In my view it should carry a health warning for anyone suffering from arthritis and several other nerve issues. One doctor I saw reckoned that if it was taken out of the food chain his workload would halve. I think we have yet to see the real implications of its use in the long term.
@OnTheOutside: If someone really wants to have something fizzy and sweet, they should make an “Apfelschorle”, mix apple juice with sparkling water. Delicious and way les sugar that coke.
Veronica
That’s not bad advice at all but if I might add.
Fruit contains sugar. Now before anybody screams at me that it’s natural sugar, I agree, however.
When you drink a glass of ‘pure’ orange juice and they tell you it contains the juice of 10 oranges, please realise you are getting the sugar of 10 oranges.
If you wouldn’t eat 10 oranges in 1 sitting then don’t consume the sugar of 10 oranges.
Also, when those flamboyant breakfast cereal boxes say no added sugar etc, read the ingredients and find the sugar substitute like agave.
If you eat a ‘healthy’ yogurt and as soon as you finish it you crave another one, the chances are the manufacturers have added something to hook you.
The food industry is not about food, it’s about profit.
OnTheOutside
If you go through life keeping chemicals out of your food as much as possible, you are doing your health a favour.
Do we really need proof?
The mere sound of that word scares me. It sounds like something you would clean the floor with.
@Tom Burke:
>Fruit contains sugar.
Yup, another reason why diluting juice is better for you! Since I moved to Germany and only ever seem to be able to get diluted juice when out and about, I just can’t go back to drinking undiluted juice, it’s just so sweet!
@Veronica: Yep. Here we just buy squeezed juice, or squeeze fruit ourselves, and treat it as cordial to add water. The kids complain if there’s too much juice in it as now they have the taste set in their buds.
@Tom Burke: While I respect what you are saying, everything has a chemical name in some shape or form. I’m just interested why of all the chemicals that one you picked, which my point was the product has less sugar than the sugar version. Would this not be better for you. You can’t live life dodging chemicals.
And I agree with regards blending down fruits.
Well everything doesn’t have a chemical name. When I read ingredients and they are natural I am more likely to buy.
As for chemicals in Coke? I wouldn’t trust Coca Cola as far as I would throw one of their cans.
If they put 9 spoons of sugar in a drink, they don’t care about anybody’s health.
I also don’t trust their testing.
Many of these chemicals can be slow burners. They can’t say after 3 years it’s completely safe. Chemicals in your body are not good.
have your say